Door latch



April 2o, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 am JM ATTORNEYS R. s. LiNT Doon LATCH April 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2l 1961 ATTORNEYS 3 and the third and fourth being the two escutcheon handle members -11 and .l0-12, respectively.

In preparation for installation of the door latch it is necessary to bore the aforementioned hole Si through the thickness of the door, and to bore the dowel holes 60 and the latch hole 67, the latter being bored from the outer facing edge of the door with its axis perpendicular thereto and radial with respect to the axis of the hole Si. The dowel holes 60 are easiest provided by boring a single hole through the door so that alinement of the dowel holes is assured.

After preparation of the door, the bolt, retractor, spring and guide component is inserted into the hole 51 with the bolt 14 projecting from the hole 67. Since the bolt 14 must be inserted part of the way into the hole 67 at an angle to the axis of the hole before the back end of this component can be located in the larger hole 51, there must be enough clearance between the hole 57 and the bolt 16 to allow for some misalignment therebetween. This clearance is provided by the allowance for the thickness of the latch case 15. The latch case, face plate piece 15 and 1.9 can then be secured by screws 32 with the latch case 15 sleeved on the bolt 14 to provide a slide mounting therefor. Following this step the two handle escutcheon components 10-11 and 10-12, are slipped onto their related spindles 39-40 and the dowels 53 are seated in the alined holes 60 to prevent the escutcheons from turning and to aline the holes 61-62. A screw driver is then inserted through the access opening 66 into engagement with the screw head 64 to thread the screw 20 into hole 62 so as to draw the two escutcheon handle cornponents together. Installation is completed by securing the two cover plates 43 onto the handles by the snap .rings 44.

The latch is disengaged by turning either handle 10 in a clockwise or 'counter-clockwise direction, causingr respectively either the upper or lower rollback 35 or 36 to push against its related abutment 34 so as to retract the bolt 14 against the pressure of the spring i7. When the handle is released, the spring 17 acts to project the bolt 14 through the face plate opening 30 until the forwardly facing stop shoulder 28 engages the back of the face plate 29. As is conventional, coaction of the strike face 21 of the bolt and the strike plate 16 during closing of the door causes automatic retraction of the bolt followed by engagement upon closure.

Though a variety of materials could be used in the construction of this latch, it peculiarly adapts itself to having all the parts (except the spring 17) cast of translucent plastic such as nylon. it can be seen rst that the arrangement of the latch does not stress any of the parts to any great degree, thus allowing the use of such lowstress material. Further, there is the consideration that often a person who is grasping a handle has previously generated a certain amount of static electricity on his body by Walking on a rug. The use of a plastic material prevents the sparking or shock otherwise experienced when the person grasps a metallic handle. For marine use, the corrosive-resistant nature of plastic is especially advantageous, as is the light weight of such material for use in aircraft. With regard to its use in a public conveyance, when used as a latch on a lavatory door, it is possible for a passenger to ascertain whether the lavatory is occupied, by observing the presence or absence of light shining through the latch.

It should also be pointed out that the manner in which this latch is spring loaded acts to eliminate rattle and wear in the lock.

It is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

What l claim, is:

1. In a door latch, an escutcheon having a central through opening, a knob having a back wall seated against said escutcheon and being necked behind said back wall to provide a boss journaled to turn within said central opening, keeper means for retaining said boss in said opening, said escutcheon and back wall having screw and access holes, respectively, therethrough which are offset an equal amount from the journal axis of said boss.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the back face of said back wall of the knob and the opposing front face of the escutcheon are dat annular faces.

3. The structure of claim 1 in Which said keeper means comprises a snap ring on said boss behind said escutcheon.

4. ln a door latch, an escutcheon having a central through opening, a hollow knob having a back wall seated against said escutcheon opening, said knob having a front cover plate hiding said back wall, said escutcheon and back wall having screw and access holes, respectively, therethrough which are offset an equal amount from the journal axis of said boss.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said cover plate is removable and is retained by a snap ring fitting within said knob.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 295,795 3/ 84 Oliver 292-169 2,027,608 1/36 Moller 292-357 2,208,592 7/40 Mariani 292-348 2,707,649 5/55 Young 292-348 2,796,039 6/57 Brave 116-114 2,825,220 3/58 Glass 292-357 2,828,152 3/58 Unetic et al. 292-169 2,896,992 7/ 59 Check 292-348 2,904,989 9/59 Best 70-452 2,995,396 8/61 Russell et al. 292-169 3,017,213 l/62 Kendrick 292-357 3,020,073 2/62 Williams 292-169 3,073,640 1/63 McBurnie 292-254 ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

M. H. WOOD, IR., Examiner. 

1. A DOOR LATCH, AN ESCUTCHEON HAVING A CENTRAL THROUGH OPENING, A KNOB HAVING A BACK WALL SEATED AGAINST SAID ESCUTCHEON AND BEING NECKED BEHIND SAID BACK WALL TO PROVIDE A BOSS JOURNALED TO RETURN WITHIN SAID CENTRAL OPENING, KEEPER MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID BOSS IN SAID OPENING SAID ESCUTCHEON AND BACK WALL HAVING SCREW AND 